Rees River
River in New Zealand From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Rees River (Māori language: Puahiri or Puahere)[1] is a headwater tributary of the Clutha River / Mata-Au that drains eastward of the main divide of the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana in New Zealand. The river runs 41 km,[2] drains an area of 406 km2, and discharges into the head of Lake Wakatipu at Glenorchy. Bound by the Richardson (Whakaari) Mountains[3] to the east and the Forbes Mountains[4] to the west, its snow-covered headwaters rise above 2000 m.
| Rees River | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Native name | |
| Location | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | |
• location | Glenorchy |
• elevation | 320 m |
| Length | 41 km |
| Basin size | 406 km2 |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 26 cumecs |
The upper parts of the Rees River occupy a formerly glaciated valley that was fed by the Tyndall Glacier, which now drains into the adjacent Dart Valley. Below Rees Saddle the river valley is constrained by a series of steep alluvial fans that are fed from tributary basins.[2] The lithology of the Rees catchment is highly erodible schist of the Aspiring lithologic association.[5] The underlying schist is highly fissive due to its fine-grain, segregated quart-feldspar-mica composition.[6]
The Rees valley, covered in tussock and native forest, is a popular location for recreational fly fishing, pack rafting and tramping, including the Rees and Dart Tracks, a five-day loop which crosses from the upper reaches of the Rees into the valley of the Dart River / Te Awa Whakatipu.[7] However, the steep hillsides, easily erodible rock, proximity to the Alpine Fault, and intense rainfalls contribute to geohazard risks in the region. A debris flow swept away a hiker during a river crossing in an unnamed tributary in the Upper Rees Valley near Cleft Peak in January 2002.[6]
The Rees river and valley get their gazetted name[8] from the high country station, was originally part of the runs established by William Gilbert Rees, the first sheep farmer in the Wakatipu Basin.[9] Ownership of the station has been in the Scott family since 1905; the Rees Valley Station is maintained in perpetuity as a part of Crown Pastoral Lease.
The lower Rees Valley, which continues to operate as a beef and sheep grazing farm, was a filming location for Mission: Impossible – Fallout,[10] and the television drama series Top of the Lake.
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